Paul Lewis’s Harmonia Mundi recordings of Schubert have
generated universal praise, with this collection preceded by
another on HMC 902115.16 (see review)
which includes three of the great later sonatas and the Impromptus
D899. These releases are entirely complementary, and if
you have one you are sure to have the other high on your ‘must
have’ list.

This set has already been handsomely reviewed
by John Quinn, and I was unsurprised to see it summed as “richly
rewarding”. ‘Rich’ is certainly a term you
can apply to Paul Lewis’s performances, with that word
applicable to his full and generous tone, superbly captured
in an attractive studio resonance perfectly suited for a piano
sound which is more projected than intimate. Listening along
in the car on the way to a concert as one does, a musician colleague
of mine indicated surprise that there was only one pianist at
work, such is the breadth of tone which is delivered - and this
from someone who runs their own concert hall, having as much
exposure to pianists as carpenters have to sawdust.

The Wandererfantasiehasn’t always been one
of my Schubert favourites, but Lewis manages to convey the stormy
dramas in the music while maintaining poise, clarity and a good
deal of poetry. Following the score just makes you realise quite
how miraculous a technical feat such a performance is. My ears
have recently also been learning more about this work through
Viviana Sofronitsky’s fortepiano,
and with this eminent and sensitive interpretation from Paul
Lewis I consider my conversion to the work complete.

The Impromptus D 935 have held their spell through numerous
interpreters, and the Decca recording of Radu Lupu has remained
something of a reference (see review).
Comparing Lupu with Lewis I am reminded of why the former is
so involving: with such a variety of colour and expression in
the piano sound one can hardly avoid being transported into
other worlds. Lewis comes close to this, with contrasts in timbre
and texture very much a quality in the sound. Lupu is more overtly
dramatic, for instance in the loud answers to the thematic statements
in the second A flat major Allegretto, where the emotions
are stretched between soothing repose and gnashing angst. Lewis
builds more in these episodes, shaping and integrating them
more as outpourings from the same voice, rather than seeing
the contrasts as a conversation between two opposing characters.

Comparing the same sets, Lupu is more expansive in much of the
Sonata D 845’s opening movements, the Moderato
first movement sounding more like an unstoppable juggernaut
when compared to Paul Lewis’s sense of flow and momentum.
The second movement is also traversed with a lightness of touch
from Lewis which is almost hypnotic, setting us up for a Scherzo
which wrong-foots every expectation. I can’t say I have
a clear preference for Lewis or Lupu in the last two movements,
but Lewis brings plenty of fresh thoughts to the table, heightening
our sense of expectation with subtle dynamic lifts and points
of harmonic drama from which notes and inner voices are brought
out with fine acuity of touch. This D 845 is like a fine
painting from which you can take away new things every time.

A recent experience with the Moments musicaux from Valery
Afanassiev on ECM New Series 2215 made me more than usually
‘up for’ a new but more mainstream recording, and
hearing Lewis’s less controversial and more warmly welcoming
performances has restored my faith more than somewhat. As has
been pointed out before, Paul Lewis’s feel for Schubert’s
idiom is natural and sensitively balanced against the need for
personal judgements in terms of expression. Lewis doesn’t
seek to present Schubert with artificial impositions, allowing
the enlightened humanity of his genius to speak as communicatively
as possible. Others have done this before of course, and Radu
Lupu is just one of many who still come highly recommended and
hold ‘classic’ status of one kind or another. Paul
Lewis joins these greats and former greats with unpretentious
ease.

With fine booklet notes by Roman Hinke and Harmonia Mundi’s
sensible gatefold packaging, this is a Schubert recording to
relish for many years to come.

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